1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endocoupler system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an endocoupler system consisting of an endocoupler connected to a myeloscope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The endocoupler system was developed to satisfy a need that every pain practitioner has faced for the last 60 years. The need to directly visualize the pathology in-situ in and around the nerve roots as they make their way out of neural forming along the axis of the spinal cord. Other means of visualizations such as Fluoroscopy, MRI and CAT Scans cannot produce real time images of the pathology or disease and cannot clearly differentiate soft tissue pathology. Epidural endoscopy was practically impossible if performed utilizing ridged optics and the paramedian or lumbar approach. This is due to the fact that the spinal cord is encased by an articulating bone structure with minimal access possibilities. Any device with the capability to access the epidural space would have to be flexible and very small. Using miniature fiberoptic endoscopes and miniature multi lumen steerable catheters the inventor has developed a medical device that introduces epidural space. The present invention allows physicians to directly visualize the epidural space of the spine and treat patients for related diseased in a minimally invasive manner.
Numerous innovations for an endoscope system have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,805, titled Medical Probe Device with Optical Viewing Capability, invented by Stuart D. Edwards, Hugh R. Sharkey, Ingemar H. Lundquist, Ronald G. Lax and James A. Baker, Jr., a medical probe device comprising a catheter having a styler guide housing with at least one stylet port in a side thereof and stylet guide means for directing a flexible stylet outward through at least one stylet port and through intervening tissue to targeted tissues. The stylet guide housing has an optical viewing means positioned for viewing the stylet and adjacent structure which includes a fiber optic channel means for receiving a fiber optic viewing device. The fiber optic channel means can include a guide port means for directing longitudinal movement of a fiber optic device with respect to the stylet guide means in a viewing zone and a flushing liquid channel in the stylet guide housing having an exit port positioned to direct flushing liquid issuing therefrom across the end of a fiber optic device when positioned in the viewing zone. The optical viewing means can comprise a viewing window positioned in the stylet guide housing for viewing the stylet when it is directed outward from its respective stylet port. The optical viewing means can includes a fiber optic channel in the stylet guide housing for receiving the fiber optic, viewing device and aligning the viewing end thereof with the viewing window. Windowed devices can include a flushing liquid channel in the stylet guide housing having an exit port positioned to direct flushing liquid issuing therefrom across a surface of the viewing window.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,604, titled Fiber Optic Catheter with Twistable Tip, invented by Dan J. Hammersmark, Timothy J. Wood, and Matthew S. Solar, the present invention is a catheter with a twistable tip. The catheter having a flexible wall for use in complex twisting anatomy contains a torque wire or a torquable guide wire lumen. The torque wire or torquable guide wire lumen extends through the length of the catheter and is attached to the catheter at or near the distal end thereof. The distal face of the catheter is angled to self align the catheter with an obstruction upon insertion. The proximal end of the torque wire protrudes from the proximal end of the catheter and is attached to a turn limiter. Rotation of the turn limiter imparts a torque to the torque wire or torquable guide wire lumen which is transmitted through the catheter to the distal end of the catheter where the applied torque twists the distal tip to manually align the tip with an obstruction. The twisting response at the tip of the catheter is determined by the torque applied to the torque element, the material and dimensional profile of the torque element, the attachment point of the torque element to the catheter and the material and dimensional profile of the catheter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,311, titled Catheter Imaging Apparatus, invented by Phillip J. Snoke, Stephen C. Gamper, David S. Rowley and Bruce W. Copeland, a catheter imaging apparatus for internally viewing body vessels or cavities, having a catheter, the catheter comprising a housing of such a size as to be readily held in the hand of a user, an elongate tube with one end connected to the housing and extending outwardly therefrom and being formed of material having sufficient stiffness to maintain the elongate tube in a substantially straight condition in the absence of an external force applied thereto, the elongate tube having a flexible distal end portion, guide wires having inner ends connected to the housing and extending outwardly therefrom through the elongate tube means, distal ends of the guide wires being connected to the flexible distal end portion of the elongate tube means, and a guide wire control carried by the housing and cooperating with proximal inner end portions of the guide wires for controlling the angular attitude of the flexible distal end portion of the elongate tube means, the guide wires and guide wire control cooperating to limit the angular attitude of the flexible distal end portion of the elongate tube to angular adjustments in a common plane extending generally parallel to the upper surface of the housing, and an imaging source for forming an image of an internal body cavity or vessel into which the catheter is inserted, the imaging means being in optical communication with the flexible distal end portion of the elongate tube of the catheter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,942, titled Flexible Endoscope, invented by Rudolf Helmberger, an endoscope with a flexible shaft, which consists of individual subassemblies releasably connected to each other. The proximal end of a flexible shaft is joined to a connecting portion and the distal end of the shaft can be steered into different positions by adjustment of an operating wire by means of an adjusting lever. The connecting portion can be coupled releasably to the distal end of the handle portion, at the proximal end of which an eyepiece portion is arranged. A hand-operated control means for the operating wire is provided in the handle portion, wherein the proximal end of the operating wire is clamped by a receiver in the control means. The receiver can be opened by operation of the adjusting lever for the purpose of releasing the above mentioned wire end, by moving the adjusting lever forwards of a neutral position. Moving the adjusting lever backwards from the neutral position effects longitudinal movement of the operating wire for controlling movement of the flexible shaft.
The above patented inventions differ from the present invention because the patented inventions each lack one or more of the following features which are described and claimed in the present invention: an endocoupler (110) which comprises: an endocoupler camera/eyepiece mount which is either an endocoupler camera mounting means or an endocoupler eyepiece viewing means consisting of an endocoupler eyepiece, an endocoupler eyepiece lens, and an endocoupler eyepiece lens holder, an endocoupler focus ring, an endocoupler body consisting of an endocoupler body objective lens assembly, an endocoupler body window holder, and an endocoupler body collet body, and an endocoupler collet knurled ring. A myeloscope is rotatably mounted to the endocoupler. The myeloscope consists of features such as: a myeloscope image coupler body having a myeloscope image coupler body male connector, a myeloscope fiberoptic endoscope consisting of a myeloscope fiberoptic endoscope distal end and a myeloscope fiberoptic endoscope light/image fiber bundle consisting of a myeloscope fiberoptic endoscope image fiber bundle and a myeloscope fiberoptic endoscope light fiber bundle, a myeloscope strain relief tubing, a myeloscope ACMI light port body having a myeloscope ACMI light port body attachment means, and a myeloscope fiber optic light guide scope lead having a myeloscope fiber optic light guide scope lead strain relief tubing.
Numerous innovations for an endoscope system have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.